PM attends ASEAN summits with Japan, Plus Three countries, Australia – Vietnam Economic Times

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh led a Vietnamese delegation that attended the ASEAN – Japan, ASEAN Plus Three (China, Republic of Korea, Japan) and ASEAN – Australia summits in Vientiane, Laos on October 10, according to a Vietnam News Agency report.

At the 27th ASEAN-Japan Summit, the Vietnamese Prime Minister welcomed the success of the commemorative summit marking the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-Japan relations in December 2023, which he described as a historic milestone that will mark a new era of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. sides.

He stressed that economic, trade and investment cooperation should remain the key driver, while improving the connectivity of the economies of both sides.

Prime Minister Chinh encouraged Japanese companies to invest more in ASEAN and called on Japan to increase assistance to ASEAN companies to participate in their companies’ supply chains, develop supporting industries and nurture a skilled workforce.

Moreover, the Vietnamese Prime Minister was quoted by the state news agency as saying that it is necessary to promote new growth engines that are emerging areas such as digital transformation, semiconductors, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, the energy transition, the green economy, the circular economy and the economy. economy and smart agriculture.

To create a future of resilient and sustainable development and boost response to climate change and disasters, Prime Minister Chinh proposed that Japan would continue to cooperate with and assist ASEAN and Mekong Subregion countries to cope with climate change , intensify the energy transition and realize the commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including through the Asia Zero Emission Community.

He believed that the two sides should strengthen strategic coordination for regional peace, security and stability. He therefore asked Japan to continue to support ASEAN’s common position on the Baltic Sea issue, namely the peaceful resolution of disputes, efforts to finalize a practical and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in the Baltic Sea, in accordance with international law, in particular the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and working to build the Baltic Sea into a sea of ​​peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development.

At the summit, participating leaders pledged to continue working closely to implement the Commemoration Summit commitments, initiatives and outcomes, including the Joint Vision Statement and associated implementation plan.

In particular, ASEAN and Japan will advance cooperation in economic, trade, investment, supply chain consolidation, infrastructure connectivity, national defense, maritime security, cross-border crime prevention, cyber security, together with the management and response to natural disasters. They will also give high priority to cooperation in science: technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, green infrastructure, e-vehicle ecosystem, energy, climate change response, people-to-people exchanges and tourism.

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru emphasized the importance of the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and Japan and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to continue strengthening cooperation with and support to the bloc to build an ASEAN community of solidarity, stronger connectivity and reduce the development gap.

During his speech at the 27th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, Prime Minister Chinh commended the role of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) in maintaining stability, peace, cooperation and development in the region, and affirmed that the prosperous development of ASEAN cannot be promoted. achieved without the connection, cooperation and support of its Plus Three partners in the past, now and in the future.

Amid the complicated and uncertain developments in the regional and global situation, Prime Minister Chinh outlined three key orientations for ASEAN Plus Three cooperation, including ensuring supply chain connectivity; leveraging new growth drivers such as innovation, digital transformation, green transition, circular economy, sharing economy and emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cloud computing and the Internet of Things; and increasing resilience to natural disasters and climate change.

The Vietnamese leader underlined the importance of a peaceful, secure and stable environment, free from war, conducive to the development of countries and the entire region, including Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, adding that in resolving whatever the problem, the most critical factor is to respect international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the 1982 UNCLOS.

Calling for frank dialogue, sincere cooperation, mutual trust and respect and peaceful settlement of disputes, the Vietnamese Prime Minister urged collective efforts to address global challenges and jointly establish an open, inclusive and transparent regional structure that will enhance international law is strengthened, with ASEAN playing a role. central role and effective cooperation and assistance from China, Japan and the RoK.

At the fourth ASEAN-Australia Summit, participating leaders praised the success of a special summit held in March to commemorate the 50th anniversary of relations between the two sides. They emphasized the need for sustained close cooperation to implement its outcomes, thereby advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and Australia in a practical, effective and mutually beneficial manner.

Leaders welcomed recent progress, particularly their $94.4 billion in bilateral trade and the $1.6 billion in direct investment that Australia channeled to ASEAN last year, and agreed to jointly develop a newly adopted action plan for 2025-2029 based on their Leaders’ Vision Statement and the Melbourne report. Declaration prepared during the special summit.

The two sides also pledged to cooperate on commitments and initiatives, including the flagship Australia for ASEAN Futures initiative, valued at AUD 204 million ($137 million), and a AUD 2 billion Investment Finance Facility to support investments in Southeast to stimulate Asia.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese underlined the importance of the special summit, which set the course for future cooperation between the bloc and Australia for decades to come. He also reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to close and mutually beneficial cooperation with regional countries to address challenges and seize opportunities, contributing to a more interconnected and resilient region and to shared peace, security, stability and prosperity.

In his remarks, Prime Minister Chinh called on ASEAN and Australia to continue working closely together to build their forward-looking comprehensive strategic partnership for peace and prosperity.

He commended the long-standing ties with Australia – a sincere friend and reliable partner always ready to provide support in times of difficulty – and recommended strengthening strategic bilateral coordination for regional peace and stability.

The Vietnamese leader also commended Australia’s active support for ASEAN’s common position on the East Sea, which is to resolve disputes peacefully and work towards the completion of an effective and substantive COC in line with international law, in particular the 1982 UNCLOS, helping to develop the sea into an area of ​​peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development.

The Prime Minister of Vietnam underlined the need for both sides to coordinate with each other to create breakthroughs in economic, trade and investment cooperation, and vigorously promote new growth engines such as science and technology, innovation and digital transformation. Accordingly, the two sides should take advantage of complementary economic forces, increase support for businesses and facilitate greater market access, especially for agricultural products, while encouraging the diversification of supply chains.

Looking to the future of inclusive and sustainable development for all countries and their people, Prime Minister Chinh called on ASEAN and Australia to mutually support each other in successfully achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by expanding their cooperation in areas such as energy transition, green transition, environmental protection, emission reduction and response to climate change.

Mr Chinh welcomed Australia’s support for the development of the Mekong sub-region. He also thanked Australia for its priority assistance to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, particularly in the areas of ‘nature-based’ development and climate change adaptation.

In addition, the Vietnamese leader also proposed to improve people-to-people exchanges, as well as strengthen cooperation in education and training, hoping that Australia would increase scholarships for students from ASEAN countries, which would contribute to the development of quality human resources.